Almonds were brought to Spain by the Moors, and they've featured in Andalusian cuisine ever since. Typically they are used as a thickener for sauces and, most famously, as the base of ajo blanco. Whole Marcona almonds are roasted with sweet or hot smoked paprika–I prefer to use sweet paprika, introduce a little heat via cayenne, and round it out with cumin and salt. In the event of a crippling Marcona almond shortage, regular blanched almonds will do the trick.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 3 cups

　　1 egg white

　　1 1/2 teaspoons salt

　　1 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon cumin, for dusting

　　1 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon sweet or smoked Spanish paprika, for dusting

　　1/4 teaspoon cayenne

　　3 cups blanched Marcona almonds

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

　　

Step 2

In a bowl, whisk together the egg white, salt, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of paprika, and the cayenne. Add the almonds and toss to coat.

　　

Step 3

Spread the almonds out evenly on the prepared baking sheet and roast until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through. Transfer to a plate to cool for about 30 minutes.

　　

Step 4

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/8 teaspoon of cumin and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon of paprika. Sprinkle this mixture over the cooled nuts. Store in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.

　　Reprinted from Sherry, by Talia Baiocchi, copyright 2014. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House LLC.